Incontinence products from Keys DryForLife range - Call for discreet advice on incontinence management

Hello and Welcome to the DryForLife
Incontinence Resource

February 16th, 2009

Your day to day guide to living and coping with incontinence.

If you are reading this post, chances are that you are one of the estimated 6 million people in the UK who suffer from incontinence, or perhaps you are searching for help on behalf of a loved one. If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Incontinence is an embarrassing problem that we often keep to ourselves, believing that no one else knows how it feels to suffer from the loss of bladder or bowel control. For some people, this can lead to avoidance of social activities that were once enjoyed; for others, to depression and isolation.

At DryForLife, we understand the importance of discretion. We also understand this condition and how important it is to feel in control of this aspect of your life. Our objective is to provide our clients with quality products, information and solutions to help you cope with incontinence.

Join us as we explore this condition,  striving to keep you up-to-date on the latest information and breakthroughs,  as well as providing you with good, basic information.  For more information, you can email or call our Discreet Advice Helpline or Freephone 0800 180 4325 to find out more about incontinence products available to help you cope on a day-to-day basis.

Disposable or Reusable Incontinence Pants – You Decide

March 9th, 2010

If you find yourself in a situation where you are having to manage any level of urinary incontinence, you will be happy to find out that you have many options when it comes to products to help you with your task. You can find disposable as well as reusable incontinence pants and pads, and you can even find a combination of the two. Incontinence products are available for every level of absorbency, and they are available in many different styles and sizes.

If you are new to this problem, do yourself a favor and thoroughly check out the products that are available today. New innovations and materials allow pants, pads and briefs to have a much slimmer profile than incontinence products from years gone by. The visions of uncomfortable, bulky products that may first pop into your head when you think of pads and protection can be replaced with soft, comfortable briefs that look and feel very much like regular undergarments.

When you are deciding if you would prefer a disposable or a reusable incontinence product, there are several things that you may want to consider. The first two things that you want to think about are your comfort and lifestyle. Above all you want your incontinence wear to be comfortable and effective. Then the next thing that you will want to consider is the cost of your products.

There may be times when disposable products are preferable to reusable incontinence pants, and other times when washable briefs would work better for you. You can find lady’s, washable, incontinence, underwear in beautiful, feminine styles, some even with lace. You can also find men’s, washable, incontinence underwear in masculine styles including boxers and briefs. So, you may very well settle on a combination of the two types of products, disposable and reusable, depending on your activities for the day.

Most incontinence pants and pads, whether disposable or reusable, have an absorbency rating, so that you know which level of incontinence pads or pants will work for your situation. Even though reusable incontinence pants look very much like regular undergarments, they are constructed of special materials designed to absorb and trap urine to keep skin and clothing dry. Some brands even offer odour reducing technology. It is a good idea to always have some extra pairs on hand so that you can easily change into a fresh pair when they become wet.

By using both disposable and reusable incontinence pants, you can tailor your products to suit your needs, which will help you do a great job of managing your incontinence problem. If you are not sure which products will suit you best, order a sample pack to get a really good idea of what options are available for your use. At DryForLife we have been helping people deal with their incontinence needs for over forty years, and we are happy to help with any questions that you may have. You can reach us by phone or online for discreet answers and advice as you are finding the best way to deal with your incontinence problem.

Further Incontinence Supplies Articles

Continence Pads and Products Pivotal in Leading Normal Life

March 8th, 2010

All too often when a person begins to experience continence problems they start to withdraw from social activities for fear of an embarrassing public accident. However, with the new continence pads and products that are available on the market today, you can expect to manage your urinary or faecal incontinence problem while continuing to engage in a normal and active lifestyle.

You can find continence care products in any number of places, so being able to get your hands on the right products is not usually where people run into problems. The problem occurs when trying to choose the right product for your particular situation. Discussing your symptoms with your doctor or medical professional is a great place to start, because they can advise you on the basics of what to look for in your continence care products. They are usually aware of the newest products on the market, so they can keep you updated on any innovative new developments in products as well.

For many people pads and pants are the best choice, and they come in all shapes and sizes. These products are available in disposable and washable styles, and they are also manufactured in gender specific designs to suit the differences between the male and female anatomy. For many people, different continence pads are appropriate for different activities throughout the day. For example, if you are working out, one type of pad may work best, and then for your day at work, another type of pad may be more comfortable and effective.

Especially if you are just beginning to deal with a continence problem, it may be a good idea to get a sample pack of products, so that you can try several different styles and absorbency levels to see which work the best for your situation. You may find that you like the convenience of disposable pads and the cost of washable products, so using a combination of the two may be the perfect solution for you.

While most pads are designed to be low profile, generally the larger the continence pad, the more urine it will absorb. Other pads are designed for bowel incontinence and have a special built in odour control. When selecting pads, you want to look for a snug, yet comfortable, fit, so that your skin does not become chafed or irritated. Continence pads are built to hold large volumes of liquid and quickly wick it away from the skin to keep any type of rash or skin infection from developing.

You can also find mattress covers and furniture protection, which can be used alone or in tandem with other continence care products. So as you are working to find the perfect combination of continence pads and products to properly manage your situation, remember that DryForLife has been helping people deal with their continence care needs for over forty years, and we are here to help.

Further Continence Articles

Leaking Bowels Can be a Lot to Manage

March 7th, 2010

If you are experiencing a decreased ability to control gas or stool, poorly controlled bowel motions or leaking bowels, then you are dealing with faecal incontinence or bowel incontinence. The symptoms for faecal incontinence can vary from an involuntary passing of gas to a complete loss of control. Affecting both women and men this type of incontinence can cause a great deal of anxiety in those suffering from it.

It can adversely affect your daily life and cause problems with your social life, your work life and your life in general. In elderly people, it is one of the most common reasons that they are placed in a nursing home. Even though this condition is relatively common, there is still a lot of reluctance discussing it, so many people never find the proper help that they need to manage the condition to their best advantage.

Passing a stool involves two sphincters, which are the muscles that hold the stool in the anal canal. There is an involuntary internal sphincter, which you do not consciously control, and there is a voluntarily external sphincter, which you can control. You can consciously squeeze the external muscles to prevent leaking bowels when you sneeze or cough for example. While ageing is certainly a contributing factor to faecal incontinence, there are other factors that can cause this condition as well. For example, in women childbirth is one of the biggest contributors to this type of incontinence. Small injuries to the sphincter muscles can occur from tears, infections, eposiotomies or a prolonged labor and may not show up for years. Then as the muscles weaken with age, the injury becomes an issue causing leaking bowels.

Abnormalities of the rectum can also cause this type of incontinence, whether from disease, genetics or injury. Other injuries like spinal cord injuries can also result in leaking bowels. Any time the nerve function is damaged, you can lose the ability to feel when you need to have a bowel movement. Suddenly it is impossible to tell the difference between the need to pass gas or a stool. As with any type of incontinence the treatments depend on the causes of the condition. Sometimes just a change in diet or simple medication can take care of the problem, and in other cases physical therapy to build muscle strength or to sense a stool can take care of the problem. Even surgical repairs are successful in correcting injury to anal muscles and restoring faecal continence.

So the first person that you want to consult, if you are having problems with leaking bowels, is your doctor, because your medical professional is the one who can help you efficiently resolve your problem. While you are working with your doctor to manage your bowel incontinence using the proper incontinence products can help you to stay active and engaged socially. DryForLife offers a complete line of incontinence pads and products, which can be ordered online or by phone and delivered discreetly right to your front door.

Further Bowel Incontinence Articles

Tena for Men, Amen!

March 7th, 2010

Tena has been developing a new line of continence wear that is specifically designed for men. This gender specific protective underwear is designed to meet the anatomical needs of men to provide excellent fit and protection. Since Tena for men is designed specifically for incontinence and specifically for men, it is virtually undetectable under clothing.

This new product line is designed just for men, many of whom are managing their incontinence problem without using any special incontinence products at all, much less ones that are designed especially for men. Tena for men is not only designed to fit a man’s shape, but it is available in medium, large and extra large sizes for a really custom fit. These undergarments offer a target zone that is extra absorbent and are styled in a close fitting classic underwear cut complete with a masculine, pinstripe pattern.

Tena for men lets you carry on about your day with confidence even if you suffer from incontinence. With its patented odour control, Tena products actually stem the growth of the ammonia producing bacteria so that an unpleasant odour never has a chance to develop. Rather than trying to mask odour with perfume, Tena for men eliminates the odour instead. The Tena products use a micro absorbent technology that allows for faster absorption and higher capacity in ever slimmer products. Tena undergarments can be worn invisibly even under form fitting clothing, and they allow you to move freely and confidently.

With its gender specific fit, Tena for men is designed to fit a man’s body comfortably and securely allowing you to move freely without the worry of any urine leakage. Tena products absorb and trap liquid quickly so that the risk embarrassing accidents is completely avoided. You can find a full range of sizes, shapes and levels of absorbency in the new line of Tena for men products with a level to suite all of your needs. Whether you are working, golfing or relaxing in front of the television, there is a perfect fit in the Tena for men line waiting for you.

While Tena for men offers a comprehensive selection of incontinence wear designed just for men it is certainly not the only product line available for urinary incontinence in men. DryForLife has been assisting men find the right products for their incontinence needs for over forty years, so if you are dealing with this problem and have continence care questions, we are here to help.

Further Incontinence Supplies Articles

Tena for Women Fits Flawlessly

March 7th, 2010

There is a new line of woman’s incontinence underwear being launched by Tena. These undergarments have design features that address the unique, anatomical needs of women in regards to fit and protection with incontinence. Not only does Tena for Women come in feminine packaging, but the undergarments themselves boast a fit that is close to the body and snugly follows contours. They are available in small, medium and large sizes.

As women worldwide discover that suffering from urinary incontinence does not need to interfere with their active lifestyles products like Tena for women are to thank. Where suffering from incontinence used to pretty much cut a woman off from social activities for fear of an embarrassing, public accident, products like Tena for women are making that type of concern a thing of the past. Now women can continue to enjoy their full and active lifestyles even as they deal with the problems of urinary incontinence. Tena continually partners with healthcare workers and women to truly understand ways to improve their incontinence products.

Some of the features that you will find in a Tena product are odour control, which does not just try to cover up the odour but actually kills the bacteria that causes the odour in the first place. Tena for women is also designed to really fit a woman’s body, and they come in many different absorbency levels so there is one for every need. Whether you are going hiking, dancing or rock climbing, you can find just the product you need to let you carry on on with your activity as usual.

Tena produces have been created specifically to manage urinary incontinence, so they have a much slimmer profile than a sanitary towel. Therefore they are virtually undetectable when being worn, and since they are created to absorb a lot of liquid very quickly, the risk of leakage is averted. You can wear Tena for women confidently while going about your normal day.

If you are managing incontinence whether you choose Tena for women or another incontinence product, is not important. What is important is that you find the right products to handle you situation. At DryForLife we have been helping women manage incontinence problems for over forty years, and we are here to help with any incontinence questions that you may have.

Further Incontinence Products Articles

Frequent Urination in Women Can be Frustrating

March 6th, 2010

For women it can be frustrating to have to make frequent trips to the bathroom whether it is during the day or night, and if you drink a lot of water, or any liquid for that matter, fantastic because you are staying healthy and hydrated. However, being properly hydrated may mean that you have to go the the bathroom more often. While there is no set ‘norm’ for how frequently a woman should go to the bathroom, as it varies by person, and even by the day, when you find that your bathroom visits are so frequent that they are interfering with normal work and sleep you may be suffering from a condition known as frequent urination in women.

The most common cause of frequent urination in women is often stimulants and bladder irritants like alcohol and caffeine, which is not surprising because they are also natural diuretics. High blood pressure medication also is a diuretic, and may be another cause of frequent urination symptoms. Symptoms can also be caused by kidney disease, diabetes, and urinary tract infections among other things.

Another cause of frequent urination in women, especially if it is happening at night, is ageing. As you get older you produce two thirds of your urine at nighttime and one third during the daytime, which is the exact opposite of how your body works when you are younger.

If your frequent urination is not accompanied by any pain or discomfort, then you probably do not need to worry about it. However, if it is simply getting too inconvenient, there are a couple of things that you can do. First of all, try cutting back on the amount of liquid that you are drinking, especially later in the day. You can also try building a bigger bladder by gradually expanding the lapse time between bathroom visits. You can do this by waiting at least fifteen minutes to go to the bathroom after you first feel the urge to go. Then after about a week increase your wait time by another fifteen minutes. Over several months try to lengthen you time between bathroom visits to three or four hours.

If you are taking a diuretic medication, do not take it late in the day. Check with your doctor to make sure that you can take it earlier in the day. By taking your medication earlier in the day, the effects that your medication has on the bladder should be long gone by bedtime. By just making a few simple changes to your behavior, you can generally alleviate the most annoying symptoms of frequent urination in women.

If you worry about having an accident during the night, you can protect your mattress with a waterproof mattress pad, which you can order from DryForLife from the privacy of your living room and have delivered directly to your front door.

Further Frequent Urination Articles

Bed Wetting Alarms Get Good Results

March 5th, 2010

If you have a child that is having problems mastering that last little piece of toilet training and staying dry throughout the night, take heart, because this problem is fairly common. By the time a child is about six years old, they have normally developed the ability to sleep through the night without needing to go to the bathroom, and if they do need to go to the bathroom, their bladder sends a message to the brain which awakens them so that they can get up and go to the bathroom.

Modifying behavior by limiting fluid intake several hours before bedtime and using a bed wetting alarm can be very successful in training your child to stay dry throughout the night. These alarms are attach to a child’s pajamas or underwear in an area where you would expect the first drops of wetness to occur. As soon as the monitor senses moisture, the alarm sounds and wakes the child prompting them to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. Over time a child learns to feel a full bladder, and they will get up to go to the bathroom before the alarm sounds.

When you are looking for a bed wetting alarm notice how it attaches to the child. For example, does it come with its own special pair of underwear, of does it attach to the child’s underwear. You can also find a pad style alarm for those who would rather not have the alarm attached to their clothing.

Once the alarm sounds, it needs to be silenced, and there are different styles of alarms available with different shut offs. Removing the sensor from wetness and hitting a reset button is a common setup. This two step routine keeps the alarm from being turned off accidentally. You can also find wireless alarms which require getting out of bed and turning off the alarm at the base unit on the wall.

The alarm itself can be worn on the shoulder, be placed on the bedside table or across the room. Having the sound close to the ear is great if the child will hear the alarm and get up to urinate. However, if they still need prompting from their parents, then having a wall mounted unit may be easier for everyone, the child and parents, to hear.

These bed wetting alarms are also available with other sensory stimulation like vibration, which simply makes the alarm more effective. The vibration acts like the gentle shaking of the shoulder. Of course if your child is a very sound sleeper, then having a volume control is essential. Top volume is usually needed when both parent and child need to respond to the alarm. When your child first starts using the alarm, you will want to help and guide them with its use. If your child is a very sound sleeper, you will want to make sure that the alarm awakens them. So when you hear the alarm, you need to quickly awaken your child.

As you are working with your child to put the finishing touches on toilet training, you may want to enlist the assistance of some protective coverings for your mattresses, or even a disposable mattress pad. DryForLife is happy to advise you on products that may help make your situation easier to manage, and you can order them online or over the phone. Then they are delivered right to your home with fast, convenient shipping.

Further Bed Wetting Articles

A Positive Approach to Enuresis Treatment

March 2nd, 2010

Enuresis, or bed wetting, happens when a child over the age of about six accidentally urinates. While this involuntary urination can happen any time, either during the day or during the night, the more typical problem in children is nighttime enuresis, and the enuresis treatment for nighttime bed wetting is behavior training o5 drugs, or both..

If your child is having a nighttime accident, two or more times per month, then they are suffering from enuresis. Two of the most common reactions that parents have when an older child is bed wetting are to either do nothing at all or to punish the child. Both of these approaches are absolutely no help at all. Instead of leaving the child to figure the problem out on their own, let them know that this problem is common, and then get them some help.

The first line of assistance can come from you. Begin by regulating their bathroom times during waking hours so that they are not having to hold urine for an extended period of time. Always have your child go to the bathroom before going to sleep, and reduce liquids several hours before going to bed.

This type of behavior modification is the most successful when your child is between five and eight years old. While it may not solve the problem, it is a sensible place to start, and coupling it with positive reinforcement can work. However, when it does not work you can employ the use of a bed wetting alarm. These small alarms awaken the child when it is time for the child to go to the bathroom. It may take a couple of months to fully train your child, but bed wetting alarms have a really high success rate if they are used properly and consistently.

There are also drugs that are very effective for enuresis treatment. Some medications decrease the volume of urine that is produced during sleep, and it has been used with very good results. A doctor may prescribe this type of medication for a time, and then stop to see if the problem has righted itself.

All children develop at different rates, and remaining dry throughout the night is essentially the last stage of toilet training. After the age of six if a child is still wetting the bed at night, then they are considered to have nocturnal enuresis.

There are two types of enuresis, primary and secondary. Primary enuresis occurs when a child has never been completely toilet trained. Frequently the cause for primary enuresis is that the body is making more urine than the bladder can hold, and the child does not awaken to go to the bathroom. The child’s brain has not learned to respond to the wake up signal when the bladder is full.

Secondary enuresis occurs when a child has been completely toilet trained for at least six months. When a child suffers from secondary enuresis, the problem could be physical, emotional or a change in sleep patterns. Normally when a child is suffering from secondary enuresis, a doctor will not begin treating the child until they know what the cause of the problem is.

If your child is suffering from enuresis, it is important to get the righe enuresis treatment and use the right products to help your child avoid accidental embarrassment. Whether your are looking for nighttime mattress protection or protective undergarments for your child, DryForLife has been helping people find just the right products to suit their situation for over forty years. You can order by phone or online, and have the products shipped directly to your home quickly and discretely.

Further Bed Wetting Articles

Urine Leak Becomes More Likely with Age

February 28th, 2010

While urinary incontinence can happen at any age, it happens with far more frequency in the elderly. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from incontinence, and up to thirty five percent of people over the age of sixty suffer from some type of urine leak. As an elderly person becomes bedridden their chances of having to deal with incontinence goes up to over fifty percent.

Healthy, active, older adults can be afflicted with urinary incontinence simply because there are a number of changes that happen in the urinary tract physiology as people age. These changes directly affect continence. For example, as you age your bladder becomes less elastic, and this causes the bladder to have a smaller capacity making older people have to go to the bathroom more frequently than their younger counterparts.

As you age your muscles weaken in general, and this includes the detrusor muscle, which is responsible for emptying the bladder. This weakened muscle results in a bladder that does not completely empty. The other thing that happens to the detrusor muscle is that it may also suffer from spontaneous contractions as you age, and these contractions result in a urine leak anywhere from a light leakage to a heavy flow.

Older adults can lose the ability to postpone urination, and they have a decreased closing pressure in the urethra. On top of that, the kidneys, whose job it is to concentrate urine, become less efficient causing the volume of urine to be larger. And finally the pelvic floor muscles, which support all of your internal organs, are also becoming weaker offering less support to the urinary system in general as you age.

For post menopausal women, estrogen deficiencies can cause weakness in the urethral sphincters causing incontinence as well, and for older men, prostate surgery can cause incontinence, which can be temporary or permanent.

While ageing is certainly a factor in urinary incontinence, it is not a guarantee that you will have the problem. Maintaining a healthy weight and diet, as well as getting regular exercise are all important factors in maintaining the health of your urinary system.

If you find that as you get older you are having to deal with a urine leak, either slight or heavy, by using the proper incontinence pads you can continue to live your same healthy, active lifestyle. With the worry of having an embarrassing urine leak in public completely removed, you can still enjoy your life with confidence.

Further Urinary Incontinence Articles

A Reliable Incontinence Supplier Helps Manage Incontinence

February 28th, 2010

Urinary incontinence is a problem that no one looks forward to dealing with, and it is a problem that is much more prevalent than most people would imagine. Because it is not publicly discussed, many people who suffer from incontinence feel isolated and alone. As a result, they tend to not seek medical advice, and they do not properly investigate all avenues of support that are available to them. If you suffer from incontinence, one of these important avenues is to find an incontinence supplier where you can find the products that you need to manage your problem.

Incontinence can be a permanent condition, or it may be temporary. Either way, as you and your doctor are managing your particular situation, when you have access to the right products, you can carry on all of your normal activities without the worry of embarrassing leakage in public. There are products made for active wear as well as products tailored for light to heavy flow. You may find that you can benefit from several different products depending on your activity level. For example, you may want to use a heavier flow pad when you are working out than when you are at home, or you may want more protection at night than during the day. Whatever your patterns, having a good incontinence supplier can make managing your incontinence problem easier.

To find the products that work best for you, first you will want to determine what level of protection you need. Then you can review the products that are available at that level of protection. If you have questions, your supplier can help you determine which products will suite you the best, and then you can order discreetly with your supplies being delivered to your home.

If you are not sure exactly what you need, a good place to start is with a sample pack. DryForLife sells sample packs, and the entire cost is refunded on your first order, so in essence your sample pack is absolutely free. This is a great way to try a variety of incontinence products to see which ones absorb the best, are the most comfortable and work for you.

DryForLife wants you to be happy with your purchase, and any time you are not satisfied, for any reason at all, return unused products for a full refund of the product price. With any incontinence supplier, you want to look for a guarantee of quality and service, and you want to be on their mailing list. A good supplier will even let you set up a standing order so that you will never run out of your incontinence products. DryForLife has been in the business of helping people navigate their way through managing their incontinence problems for over forty years, and we are here to help you as well.

Further Incontinence Products Articles

 

Disclaimer - The research, clinical material and advice provided on this website is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for medical treatment, nor an alternative to medical advice. Any action taken in response to the information given on this website is at the reader's own discretion. Readers should always consult their own Doctor in all health matters. Please read our Terms and conditions. Copyright ©2003-2009 DryForLife®